Key guide for locks



G. W. ALDEEN.

' KEY GUIDE FOR LOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6,192].

1,437,878, Patented Dec. 5, 1922.

Patented Dec. 5, 1922.

GEDQB ALDEEN, QB ROCKFQRD, IiLINOIS.

KEY GUIDE FOR LOCKS.

' Continuation of application Serial No. 23,496, filed April 23, 1915.

This application filed June 6, 1921.

Serial No.v 475,560.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEooR W. ALDEEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Key Guides forLocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to locks, more particularly to thetype commonly known as desk or cabinet locks, and has special referencetothe key-guide and the manner in which it is secured in position. Thepresent application is a continuation of my application, Serial No.23,496, filed April 23, 1915.

In locks of this general character as heretofore manufactured,thekey-guide which is customarily in the form of a cylinder, has beenattached to or detachably connected with the lock case. Suchconstructions necessitated expensive and more or less complicatedmechanism for locking the key guide or cylinder to the case for thepurpose of maintaining the guide in position. Furthermore, the mortiseor opening in which the lock case is set and the opening communicatingtherewith into which the key-guide project-s, must be accuratelyproportioned and properly positioned with respect to each other in orderto dispose the case and keycylinder in proper relation to be lockedtogether and to dispose the case in proper relation to the top of thedrawer or other part in which the lock is supported. It also followsthat in locks of thisgeneral character, the lock case andkey-guide arestructurally dependent, so that one cannot be removed withoutnecessitating removal of the other.

It is desirable to remove the lock case independently of the key-guide,and one of the chief objects of the present invention isv to provide adesk or cabinet lock in which the key-guide will be structurallyindependent of the lock case and will be held in position in cooperativerelation to the case by means independent of the lock case. By reason ofsuch an arrangement both the lock case and key-guide may beindependently mounted or secured in operative position and the lock maybe removed at any time independently of and without disturbing thekey-guide. Furthermore, the cost of both producing and installing a lockof this kind is less than with prior. known constructions, by reason ofthe fact that it comprises fewer parts and does not require a finedegree of accuracy to secure the lock and key-guide in proper operativerelation.

nother important phase of my invention is in producing a lock of thistype at a comparatively low cost. In this particular field, there aretwo distinct classes of desk or cabinet locks, commonly known asbarrel-key and flat-key locks. The barrel-key locks, so called by reasonof the barrel shaped key, which is guided by a pin in the lock caseitself, are generally recognized in the trade as an inferior and cheaperlock due to structural characteristics. The flat key-locks so calledbecause of the fiat key employed, invariably comprises more parts andare more costly. These flat key locks are regarded in the trade assuperior to the barrel-key locks and are invariably applied to thehigher and more costly grades of furniture. One of the characteristicsof a flat key lock is its r0- tatable ke guide, which appears at theface of the rawer or other lock-supporting part. As mentioned above,however, this key-guide or cylinder is either permanently or detachablyconnected to and consequently structurally dependent upon the lock case,thereby giving rise to the ob 'ectionable features already mentioned.nother object, therefore, of the present invention is to provide a flatkey type of lock which may be produced and installed at practically thesame or'less cost than the barrel key type of lock and which will haveall of the advantages of and equal appearance to the flat key type oflocks previously used, plus the advantages following from thestructurally independent key guide and lock case.

Another object of my invention is to provide a key guide which will besimple in cdnstruction and cheap to manufacture and which can be quicklyand easily secured in position regardless of the dimension between thefront of the lock case and the face of the part in which the lock isset, and irrespective of the accurate formation and relative position ofthe lock mortise or opening and the key guide opening.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this inventionwill be readily apparent to those skilled in the art as the same becomesbetter understood by reference to the following description whenconsidofFig.2;

ered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fi re 1 is asectional view of a lock embodylng my invention taken on the line 11Fig. 2, is a front elevation of the lock shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4, showing a modifiedform of key 'lock case 11, which is set therein and held in i positionby a face plate 12 in the usual manner, and provided also with anopening 13 to receive the key guide. The lock proper arranged within thecase 11 may be of any construction, and at present comprises the usualbolt 14 and other mechanism for operating and holding the same, whichmay be of any well known or preferred construction. It should beunderstood that my invention contemplates the forming of any suitablemortise or opening for the reception of the lock case, and ma be securedin such opening b any suitab e means, and further contemp ates theforming of a suitable opening 13 in ali cut with the keyopening in thelock an intersecting the lock-receiving opening.

The key guide in this instance is shown in the form ofa sheet metalcylinder 15 pro vided at its outer end with a radial flange 16 overwhich a sheet metal disk 17 is disposed and rotatably held in positionby an inwardlfy projecting flange 18 loosely embracing the ange 16. Thedisk 17 is provided with the usual slot 19 through which the key isinsorted into the lock.

g The key guide instead of being attached to or directlyconnected withthe case 11, as has been customary heretofore, is simply set into theopening 13 in which it fits rather snugly and is then seurel fastened inpositionby a plurality of re ial projections 21 formed after the guideisplaced 1n position by forcing the metal of the walls outwardly, as shownin Fi 1. The spurs or projections 21 thus forme extend into thesurrounding wood and securely hold the guide again dis lacement.

11 Figs. 3 and 4, I have shown a slightl dlfi'erent-form of key-cylinder29 in whic the outer end is shaped to provide an inwardly holding inpositions. slotted disk 32 formdisposed flange 31 overlying and ing theouter end of the cylinder. The retaining projections or spurs 21 arestruck up in the same manner as those shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

' From the foregoing, it will be observed that I have provided arotatable key-slot key-guide structurally independent of the lock case.It follows that the lock and keyguide may be secured in proper operativerelation in any drawer or lock-supporting part regardless of thedimension between the face of the lock and the face of the drawer orsuch part; that the bolt end of the lock case may always be set flushwith the top of the drawer or lock-supporting part regardless ofabsolu'tealignment of the hole 13 with respect to the key opening in thelock, this being due to the structural inde endence of the lock case andkey-guide and the allowance between said guide and case for the key toproperl accommodate itself to the lock; that the ock case may be removedat any time without disturbing, and entirely independent of, the keyguide; that the keyguide by reason of its flanged outer end structureconstitutes an escutcheon trimming the hole in which the guide sets; andthat the key-guide is not merely an escutcheon but an essential part ofthe lock in. that it serves in itself to properly guide and hold thefiat key in operative relation to the lock for operating the latter. Inregard to the flanged structure referred to, it should be noted that Ido not consider this essential to my invention in its broadest sense,but do consider it as a preferred form of construction, as it producesan escutcheon efi'ect. Furthermore, in the particular example shown forpurpose of illustration, the flanged structure constitutes a marginalabutment which limits insertion of the tubular member into the hole 13and thereby properly defines and limits the position of the key guide.

Attention is now directed to the manner in which the key guide issecured in the body 8. As mentioned above, projections 21 are formed bressin the metal of the walls of the tu'iiu ar mem er outwardly aftersaid member is laeedin position. In other words, the tubu ar member isunperforated before being inserted into the hole 13 and the spurs arestruck or forced out of the unperforated wall of the tubular member.This or the e uivalent may be done by in serting any sultable toolthrough the slot 19 and manipulating .such tool to cause sharpened edgesthereof to perforate the tubular memberand rose the perforated edgesoutwardl ther y forming spurs and embedding t em in the wood Thisoperation may be performed 1: say suitable tool and present isdone y'one (not shown) having pivotally connected jaws provided with oppositelydisposed sharpened projections or punches, when the handles of the jawsare compressed are forced apart to form and embed the spurs. It shouldbe understood, however, that the present invention is in no way limitedto the use of this or any other tool for applying the key guide; butthat my invention contemplates broadly the provision of any suitablemeans for supporting the rotatable key-slot key-guide member on the bod8 independently of the lock case. It shou d also be understood that akeyguide as-claimed hereinafter may be formed of an suitable material.

It IS believed that the foregoing conveys a clear understanding of theobjects refaced above, and while I have illustrat but practically asingle embodiment of my invention, it should be understood thatconsiderable change might be made in details of construction andarrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A key-guide, comprising a tubular member adapted to be inserted in an0 ening formed in the part receiving the ock case with which thekey-guide cooperates but structurally independent thereof, said memberbeing supported by and secured within the wall of said opening andhaving a flange at its outer end, and a ke -slot disk rotatablysupported upon said ange, the flange and disk structure formin amarginal abutment limiting insertion of the tubular member into saidopening and trimming the same as an escutcheon.

2. A ke -guide, comprisin a tubular member apted to be inserte in an 0ening formed in the part receiving the ock case with which the key-guidecooperates but structurally independent thereof, said member having aflange at its outer end, and a key-slot disk rotatably supported u onsaid flange, said member having outstanding securing elements pressedoutwardly from said member into the Walls of said opening.

3. The combination with a wooden supporting member having a lock caseopening and a key-guide opening, of a key-guide structural y independentof the lock case and adapted to be inserted in the second mentionedopening, comprising a tubular member equipped at its outer end portionwith a rotatable key-slot disk and having, at its inner end portion,spurs struck out from the un rforated body of said member and embed edin the body of the wooden supporting member.

4. The combination of a key-guide comprising a tubular member adapted tobe inserted in an opening formed in the part receiving the lock casewith which the keyguide co-operates but structurally independentthereof, a key-slot disk rotatably supported on the outer end of saidtubular member at the face of said part, and means operating directlybetween said tubular member and the wall embracing it, for securing saidmember in fixed operative position in said part.

5. A key uide for a lock comprising a tubular merrier structurallyindependent of the lock, adapted to be inserted in an opening in thelock support, said member being retained against displacement from saidsupport by the surrounding wall of said openmg, and a key-receiving slotdisk rotatably secured to the outer end of said member.

GEDOR W. ALDEEN.

Certificate of Correction. Itis hereby certified thpt Letters Patent No.1,437,878, granted Deoember 5, 1922, upon the application of Gedor W.Aideen, of Rockford, Illinois, for an -improvement in Key Guides forLocks, were erroneously issued to the inventor,

said Aldeen, whereas said Letters Patent should have been issued toNational Lock 00., of Rockford, Illinois, a. Corporation of Illinois,said corporation being mignee of the entire interest in said invention,as shown by the records of assignments in this ofiice; and that the saidLetters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the samemay conform to the reeord of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 9th day of January, A. 1)., 1923.

m KARL FENNING, Acting Commissioner of Patents.

